big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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OK I am seriously thinking about selling the LCR for the VXR but know absolutly nowt about them
I am a new member on the VXR owners site and have asked the same question "whats the good/bad points about them" and suprisingly they all said good things lol
What I need is NON biased opinions on them
I personally love the look of them specially in blue but unsure of there driving habits, my car is great in every way but every time a VXR passes me I cant help but think I wouldnt mine one.
Anyone had a go in one/got one???
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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i hate the way the wiper stalks work. it annoys me. its like flappy padel shift and im too oldskool to like it
i found the steering was far too light, as in slight turn on the wheel and it was pointing the opposite way.
the seats are nice. the engine is good. theyre a nice looking car. but i dont think theyre all theyre cracked up to be. better off looking towards jap stuff.
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big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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I already drive jap stuff 
The steering I could get used to but I take it you mean the stalks are like the one touch on/off thingys as in the dont actually stay down or up when you press them.
Whats the performance like on them???
I take it a simple remap would help nicely but do you have to upgrade any parts before its done???
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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Good, but needs some fine tuning to be perfect.
For under £250 you can make it better than the opposition IMO.
Steering is much better weighted than the Corsa VXR steering which is FAR to light.
Drive a standard one, then drive one with a RARB and you will think you have stepped into a different car.
Engines are very reliable, see brilliant gains with a map & exhaust.
If you can, avoid the 19's. My first one had 19's and TBH they are a ball ache, you find yourself battling with the wheel on uneven road surfaces.
Like Nic says, the indicators are dogshit. They still annoy me now 3 years into ownership.
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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i drove a 280bhp one. was a great car. and yeah you flick stalk up once for intermittent wiper, flick it up again for normal speed, flick it up again for fast wipers but it never stays up. i didnt know what was going on. then again, id get used to it.
theyre not a slow car by any means. i just think a new shape civic type-r might be a better car to own.
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by big eck
I already drive jap stuff
The steering I could get used to but I take it you mean the stalks are like the one touch on/off thingys as in the dont actually stay down or up when you press them.
Whats the performance like on them???
I take it a simple remap would help nicely but do you have to upgrade any parts before its done???
0-60 in 6.2 seconds 152mph as standard without a diff.
With a diff and a map you are going to be seeing mid 5 second springs, but most impressive is the 0-100, faster than all the opposition.
Also what annoys me is the lack of gauges, I like Focus ST in that respect as it has a neat little touch with the gauges. But you get used to it.
Get a red one and stick black wheels on, they look gorgeous.
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RobHayes
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Registered: 6th Sep 03
Location: Lincolnshire
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i found i had to adjust my driving position slightly. as im tall (6ft or so) i kept catching my head on the roof as the seating position is quite high.
personally i like the indicators, the RARB is something I intend to look into next year, along with suspension upgrades. Can't comment on the exhaust as I had the remus fitted from new
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
theyre not a slow car by any means. i just think a new shape civic type-r might be a better car to own.
No way in hell.
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big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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Thats one thing I WOULD have is the 19's lol I just love the look of them. Surely they wouldnt be any worse than the 18s I have just now???
Whats this RARB thing, is it an option on them or aftermarket part???
Whats the best map to go for??? The only thing I needed to uprate on the LCR was the dump valve to a metal one and a good panel filter which turned it into a bit of an animal lol.
I take it the standard handling is bad then???
Red is out of the question lol my last 3 cars have all been red
[Edited on 28-03-2009 by big eck]
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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quote:
Originally posted by big eck
I take it the standard handling is bad then???
no not really. theyre actually quite decent for a vauxhall. minor improvements from what ive heard make them excellent handling cars.
agree with ojc on the gauges. its something all vauxhalls have lacked forever really.
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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Standard handling is brilliant, but if you want it to be the best you should make DAP springs and RARB your first purchase.
Grip levels on the Astra are excellent, what most of the motoring press say about the Astra is torque steer, I don't have ANY issues never had any issues with it. The only time the 250bhp has caused me an issue is coming out of Druids at Brand Hatch but that is a very difficult corner for most cars.
19's are ok, you could live with it. But 18's are better.
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big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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quote:
Originally posted by RobHayes
i found i had to adjust my driving position slightly. as im tall (6ft or so) i kept catching my head on the roof as the seating position is quite high.
personally i like the indicators, the RARB is something I intend to look into next year, along with suspension upgrades. Can't comment on the exhaust as I had the remus fitted from new
Now that is something I do HATE, I like to feel like i'm sitting in the car not on top of it, isnt the seat height adjustable???
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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i think if you are coming from a leon cupra and a civic type-r you wont like the astra at all.
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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Everything is adjustable, seat height, you can adjust the steering up and down and in and out.
You wouldn't believe the difference this bit of metal makes
[Edited on 28-03-2009 by Ojc]
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big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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quote:
Originally posted by Ojc
Standard handling is brilliant, but if you want it to be the best you should make DAP springs and RARB your first purchase.
Ok I guess the springs are just very good quality lowered items but what is RARB???
Ideally I wouldnt mind finding one with all these things already done lol
Is it possible to find a good one for £10k as thats the maximum I would have to spend
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big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
i think if you are coming from a leon cupra and a civic type-r you wont like the astra at all.
Please elaborate my friend???
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
i think if you are coming from a leon cupra and a civic type-r you wont like the astra at all.
Why? CTR will feel athsmatic in comparision, Leon's power delivery is a bit bland and I certainly wouldn't say the handling is better in the Leon.
If you ask VXR owners who have switched over from CTR's they will say that fitting the RARB transforms to so that it handles exactly like their old CTR's.
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by big eck
quote:
Originally posted by Ojc
Standard handling is brilliant, but if you want it to be the best you should make DAP springs and RARB your first purchase.
Ok I guess the springs are just very good quality lowered items but what is RARB???
Ideally I wouldnt mind finding one with all these things already done lol
Is it possible to find a good one for £10k as thats the maximum I would have to spend
Rear Anti Roll Bar. Adjustable one, the car feels much more planted you can control the rear a lot easier with one fitted.
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big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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What a tube I feel, of course RARB is rear anti roll bar 
I take it they dont come standard on them then??? Is there a particular thickness to go for???
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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quote:
Originally posted by big eck
quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
i think if you are coming from a leon cupra and a civic type-r you wont like the astra at all.
Please elaborate my friend???
most people i know that had such things as ibizas, ctr's etc that went for an astra vxr, or a corsa vxr all hated everything about them. said everything they liked about their old cars was missing and lacking in the astra. it had nothing but a price tag and most sold them on and went back to newer versions of what they had before.
drive one and you will see what i mean as to how inferior they are.
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smokey corsa
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Registered: 29th Sep 08
Location: leicester
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ive personally not driven one yet but from speaking to friends with them they are brilliant with the rarb, eibach lowering springs, lsd and a remap.
id love one of the thurlby vxr-r's, i love the black wheels on the black car with the red & green detailing 
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
quote:
Originally posted by big eck
quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
i think if you are coming from a leon cupra and a civic type-r you wont like the astra at all.
Please elaborate my friend???
most people i know that had such things as ibizas, ctr's etc that went for an astra vxr, or a corsa vxr all hated everything about them. said everything they liked about their old cars was missing and lacking in the astra. it had nothing but a price tag and most sold them on and went back to newer versions of what they had before.
drive one and you will see what i mean as to how inferior they are.
Inferior? In what respect? I've never come up against a CTR/Leon/ST/RS that could shake me off on the road on the track anywhere.
Maybe your friends just can't drive?
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big eck
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Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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quote:
Originally posted by Ojc
quote:
Originally posted by Nic Barnes
i think if you are coming from a leon cupra and a civic type-r you wont like the astra at all.
Why? CTR will feel athsmatic in comparision, Leon's power delivery is a bit bland and I certainly wouldn't say the handling is better in the Leon.
If you ask VXR owners who have switched over from CTR's they will say that fitting the RARB transforms to so that it handles exactly like their old CTR's.
Gotta admit my LCR power delivery is anything but bland lol, probably because its been mapped
Thats also a very big claim that they handle like the CTRs, the wifes one is lowered on eibach springs and it corners like its on fookin rails
Either way I still want a VXR
I just think they look superb its just the reliability of them I want to know about
Its good that a set of springs and ARB is all it needs to make it handle well
Whats the gains like of a map???
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by big eck
What a tube I feel, of course RARB is rear anti roll bar
I take it they dont come standard on them then??? Is there a particular thickness to go for???
Whiteline.
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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personal preferences really. none of them liked the vauxhall at all to drive going fast or just as normal work and back car.
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